Shloka 55
शकुनिवधः — Sahadeva’s Slaying of Śakuni
with Ulūka’s fall
स तान् सर्वान् शरैघोरैरवाकिरत पाण्डव: । तथैव तावका राजन् पाण्डवेयान् महारथान्
sa tān sarvān śaraiḥ ghorair avākirat pāṇḍavaḥ | tathaiva tāvakā rājan pāṇḍaveyān mahārathān |
സഞ്ജയൻ പറഞ്ഞു— ആ പാണ്ഡവൻ അവരൊക്കെയുമേൽ ഭീകരമായ ബാണവർഷം ചൊരിഞ്ഞു। അതുപോലെ തന്നെ, ഹേ രാജാവേ! നിങ്ങളുടെ യോദ്ധാക്കൾ പാണ്ഡവരുടെ മഹാരഥന്മാരുടെ മേൽ ബാണങ്ങൾ മഴപോലെ ചൊരിഞ്ഞു।
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse reflects the harsh symmetry of warfare: aggression is met with counter-aggression, and martial excellence becomes a cycle of retaliation. Ethically, it points to how conflict tends to escalate when both sides respond in kind, even while acting within the expected kṣatriya code of battle.
Sañjaya reports to Dhṛtarāṣṭra that a Pāṇḍava warrior rains terrible arrows upon the opposing fighters, and that the Kaurava warriors likewise shower arrows upon the Pāṇḍava great chariot-fighters—depicting an intense exchange of missile fire between elite combatants.